Brandon Williams: “Most Americans can answer that for him. The answer is ``yes.'' It is vital to American culture. It is vital to American…”

“Most Americans can answer that for him. The answer is ``yes.'' It is vital to American culture. It is vital to American enlightenment. In the past 25 years of success, extraordinary success of culture and the arts of this country are testimony to how vital it is. He asks if the continuation of the NEA is in the wishes of the majority. The majority have answered that time and again in poll after poll. The answer is overwhelmingly ``yes.'' The American people support the National Endowment for the Arts and its continuation. He asks if it defends America against invasion, and again the answer is ``yes.'' It defends us against the invasion of misunderstanding. Any promotion of the arts does. It protects us against the invasion of ignorance. Federal promotion of the arts does that. He asks if it shields us from economic hardship, and the answer is ``yes.'' In major cities and small towns across this country, its cultural institutions have risen up and been shielded from economic hardship because of the National Endowment for the Arts.”